Validation of the Gujarati and Hindi Versions of Modified Falls Efficacy Scale

Background: Frail, old patients with and without cognitive impairment are at high risk of falls and associated medical and psychosocial issues. The Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) was developed to assess fear of falling and it is shown to be a reliable and valid measure of falls self-efficacy in western countries. The lack of adequate, validated instruments has partly hindered research in this field. Methodology: The ‘forward-backward' translation procedure was applied to translate the MFES into Hindi and Gujarati. Harmonization was done by expert panel review and pilot testing over 10 subjects. The questionnaires were then finalized.98 participants (70-Gujarati MFES; 28-Hindi MFES), meeting inclusion-exclusion criteria and willing to participate were included in the study. Interview regarding general health and fall history was taken. Gujarati MFES and Hindi MFES data were collected and Berg Balance Scale was performed. Results: The analysis of internal validity of the Gujarati and Hindi MFES revealed that the scale items presented adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: Gujarati MFES- 0.993, Hindi MFES-0.992).The Gujarati MFES showed strong positive correlation with BBS (r=0.820, P value=0.000) and a strong negative correlation with age (r= -0.351, P value=0.003). The Hindi MFES showed a moderate positive correlation with BBS (r=0.565, P value=0.002) and a weak negative correlation with age (r= -0.297, P value= 0.125). Conclusion: The Gujarati version of MFES is a valid and measure to estimate fall-related efficacy in older adults who have Gujarati as their first language. The Hindi version of MFES shall have its validity established with a larger sample size.